Ex-Reporter Is New Face Of Obama Campaign

Washington Post: Linda Douglass May Be Highest-Profile TV Journalist To Jump Into Presidential Politics Since 1974

(Washingtonpost.com)  This "Media Notes" column was written by Howard Kurtz.

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As Barack Obama started fielding questions at a hospital here last week, Linda Douglass stood off to the left, scribbling in a reporter's notebook, as she has in every presidential campaign since 1980.

It wasn't until 20 minutes later, when she shouted, "Last question!" that her former colleagues were reminded of her new role as a traveling spokeswoman who will be the public face -- a female face in this post-Hillary period -- of the campaign.

After three decades as a television correspondent, Douglass is now on the inside -- but still not getting all the answers. She recalls Obama telling her that he would not talk to her, let alone the outside world, about the vice-presidential selection process, saying: "We're locking it down, we're buttoning it up."

Which is fine with Douglass: "That was so the people who are trying to claw me every day won't get anything. I expect to be kept in the dark."

Douglass, 60, who did her share of clawing while working for ABC and CBS, may be the highest-profile TV reporter to jump into presidential politics since NBC's Ron Nessen became Gerald Ford's White House press secretary in 1974. In the modern era of sound-bite warfare, campaign spokesmen tend to be political operatives or, in a few cases, former media commentators, such as Tony Snow, President Bush's third press secretary.

Given her background, is Douglass, who covered John McCain's 2000 campaign, prepared to slam the presumed Republican nominee?

"I do like McCain and the people around him, and I consider him still to be a friend," she says. "But I have fundamental differences with John McCain on the issues and always have. I don't have any problem criticizing John McCain."

Describing her disagreements with the Arizona senator -- on the Iraq war, health care and the Bush tax cuts -- Douglass says: "It was no secret to the reporters around me that I have Democratic-leaning views. But they said I was always fair."

Douglass lives in Georgetown with her husband, lawyer John Phillips. He is an Obama donor, but it was she who was first intrigued by the freshman lawmaker in 2005, when she was covering the Senate for ABC. "I'd come home and say, 'This guy is really impressive. He's got an unusually calm demeanor. He's very smart and strikes me as someone with good judgment.' "

Douglass briefly offered Obama some debate advice in early 2007, while she was teaching at Harvard but before she joined National Journal. It wasn't until a 45-minute job interview with Obama last month that she decided to leave journalism for good.

"The thing that really made me feel at peace with the decision is this conversation we had about telling the truth," she says. "He wants me to tell the truth. Coming from a background in journalism as opposed to PR, that was really the thing I wanted to hear."

At first, "I was afraid I'd slip into on-one-hand/on-the-other-hand mode. I think reporters are constantly struggling with themselves to suppress their own opinions." Because she believes in Obama's message, Douglass says, "for me this is really liberating."

Douglass consulted Mike McCurry, a White House press secretary for Bill Clinton, for advice. "He told me," she said, "that you really have to dump your own opinions out of your head" to properly spout the candidate's views.

McCurry likens the switch to a film critic who is handed a camera and told to make a movie. "She wants to do it in a different way from the spinners of the past," he says. "She wants to get away from the rat-a-tat-tat back-and-forth and keep focused on what journalists need to get the job done."

GOP strategist Dan Schnur, a spokesman for McCain's 2000 campaign, says that Douglass was known for being fair but that the transition may be difficult. "The more us communication types are trained in spin, the more different we become from the reporters who are covering our candidates," he says.

Obama's closest confidant, David Axelrod, says Douglass is already an asset. "She's very fluent in national issues," he says. "Obviously she understands network television from the inside out."

During the long slog through the primaries, Obama earned a reputation for keeping the press at a distance and still holds a news conference only once a week -- compared with McCain's near-daily interaction with reporters -- although the Democrat sometimes takes questions on the fly. "He likes to talk to reporters; he told me that," Douglass says. "He's going to be plenty accessible."

Obama is still feeling his way with the national media. He has hesitated to agree to an Associated Press proposal for a "body watch" -- a pool of reporters who shadow him at all times, even when he is on vacation -- in part out of concern for his daughters' privacy.

The Illinois senator may have unrealistic expectations about news management. In telling reporters on his plane that he would no longer discuss his search for a running mate, he said that if they heard "secondhand accounts, rumors, gossip about this election process, you can take it from me that it is wrong." Of course, details usually leak out, and they are sometimes accurate.

With Hillary Clinton's withdrawal, the campaign entered a new phase last week. Gone are the brutal, eight-stop days that exhausted both the candidate and his press corps. The new schedule is one or two events a day, perhaps a fundraiser, and selected interviews.

The media intensity has faded a bit as well. With news organizations having obliterated their budgets covering the nonstop Democratic primary, NBC's Lee Cowan was the only television correspondent on last week's Obama swing through North Carolina and Missouri, and reporters for just four newspapers -- the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune -- tagged along.

Douglass's first television appearance as a newly minted flack took place on her old network, ABC, the morning after Obama clinched the nomination. The campaign plane had landed at 3 a.m. in Chicago, where Douglass has taken an apartment next door to campaign headquarters, and she was the leadoff interview on "Good Morning America."

After saying, "All right, Linda, the niceties are over," anchor Chris Cuomo asked whether Obama might pick Clinton or another woman as his running mate. Douglass deflected the question -- "There is no short list, there is no long list" -- and pivoted to her talking points, ticking off "the very sharp contrasts" with McCain in "health care and whether the tax cuts go to the rich, as John McCain wants, or to the middle class, as Barack Obama wants, and getting out of Iraq."

Behind the scenes, Douglass tries to dig out answers to reporters' questions. "I bug everyone all day. I'm driving our staff crazy," she says. She also preps Obama for interviews and news conferences, such as Tuesday's session in St. Louis, when she and Axelrod helped him craft a response to McCain's attack on his tax policy hours earlier.

But there are limits to Douglass's clout, as she learned when she twice tried to end the news conference and Obama didn't stop taking questions.

"If he wants to keep talking, he'll keep talking," she says.

A Clintonite's Choice

Fox News's newest contributor, to be announced today, may surprise the liberal crowd: former Clinton White House lawyer Lanny Davis.

"Fox has always treated me with respect and given me a chance to express my point of view," Davis says of the network that the Democratic candidates refused to grant a debate out of concern that it favors Republicans. He will be a frequent guest, along with such Fox stalwarts as Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich.

A relentless surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Davis says, he felt "ganged up on" during appearances on the other cable channels. He says that Clinton was "demonized" by MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, and that CNN's primary-night panels were tilted toward the Obama side.

"Does Fox have a conservative slant on some of their programs? Yes," Davis says. "They're giving me a chance to provide a counterpoint, and that's all I can ask."

Howard Kurtz hosts CNN's weekly media program, "Reliable Sources."

[phillysage]

Obama said yesterday, "I want everybody here to be absolutely clear: Senator Clinton is one of the finest public servants we have in American life today. She has been on the right side of just about every battle that we have fought. . . She is worthy of our respect, she is worthy of our honor."
If these aren''t just empty words, but if he really means them, and follows up by actually putting Hillary on the ticket, I, a continual critic of Obama, will become an enthusiastic supporter. The question is the one many of us have always had about Obama, "Is this guy just a good talker, or does he put his words into action?" We shall see. His election may depend on it. He cannot afford to have us Hillary diehards, a sizable chunk of the Democratic coalition still angry and depressed come election time.

[obama8years]

I dont understand whats the big deal. This is a something new and cool. Obama is Hip and a Mac Daddy.

So what if :

Racist Rev Wright is his Uncle and Mentor.

Rev Wright and Obama are involved with the ISM

So What if Obama has 2 racist pastors of 20 years.

So What if Obama has 2 citizenships, one in Kenya

Who cares that Obama cousin is a radical in Kenya that Obama supports and wants Sharia Law.

Who cares that michelle Obama wrote a black militant essay at princeton.

They were only comments that whites are typical and small town americans are hicks.

So what if Obama beleives in the Black Value System. The 10 points of Elevating Blacks over any other race.

So what if Obama has a socialist marxist side to him.

Obama is the Mack Daddy, and will give America the change we deserve.

So what that Hamas Supports Obama....it means nothing....

Who cares that Obama and the terroist ayers are friends and Obama sought him out to start his campaign. Not a big deal.

[ankouemo]

Sources close the the Hillary campaign hinted that HRC is considering a move to switch party affiliation. May be she wants to be MCCAIN running mate.

[jack3213]

WHAT HAS OBAMA DONE THUS FAR TO PROVE HE HAS EXPERIANCE TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE USA?
WHY DO YOU BELIEVE OBAMA WILL LOWER YOUR TAXES?
HOW DO YOU THINK OBAMA WILL LOWER GAS PRICES ?
WHAT MAKES OBAMA QUALIFIED TO LEAD A COUNTRY?

IF YOU CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, HONESTLY, THEN YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION

[jack3213]

It''s like a slap in the face to Clinton- saying I am hiring the woman you fired so don''t count on me hiring you.

[terrorislami]

Malik Obama confirms his half-brother Barack grew up a Muslim

Apparently the Obamas of Kenya have no doubt -- contrary to the claims of the Obama campaign, that the presidential candidate was raised a Moslem. They take that as a given.
"Barack Obama''s half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background. In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya."
http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/12918.htm
http://www.anobamanation.net/2008/06/obamas-brother-confirms-barack-grew-up.html

[rowdywicca]

Ex-Reporter Is New Face Of Obama Campaign

So now he needs a new face??? What NEXT?

Are his reporter friends dropping off like flies too?

[obama8years]

Now I hope Obama doesnt break his streak, this ex-reporter either has to embrace Hamas, is racist or anti-amferican. Now which one of these is Obama new face.

[ghostdog8]

It doesn''t matter who Borak Hussein Obuma adds to his campaign, the majority of AMERICANS don''t trust him and will not vote for him.

[no2commies]

Another closet communist coming forward for B. Hussein. Way to go! Woo hoo let''s all celebrate hatred for our country by electing a communist who has been studying how to hate whites and Jews for 20 years in a racist church! Wow - for the first time in my adult lifetime I am proud of this country...

[realpatriot1]

Omaar-101,

It won''t be a risk for him to leave the country, especially if he does it before the Olympics and Conventions suck up all the news coverage.

Iraq isn''t the only important stop he can make. Afghanistan, Israel, & Palestine, and possibly Saudi Arabia would be good too.

[dukuss]

McVet:

I don''t hate her.....if you had read my comment, I asked if anyone knew of her because I didn''t. So too hate, would be something that came from you.

However, presumptous enough as you are to assume that ''we'' would be handing anything other than another Rezko property deal to Obama, is way off base. The only thing ''we'' would give him is a Medicaid card, maybe some food stamps......oh so sorry, we already gave him those things.

As you will see Obama will go back with his tail between his legs, as did Gore and Kerry before him.

[larysinclair]

This does not surprise me!! After all, with the press having been so easy on Obama maybe he will hire all of them to swoon and mix the giant tubs of Kool-Aid!!

Obama/YourMama!!

[mcvet]

Does any one in the real world know this troll? Please who cares, the only job she''''ll get after this is with MSNBC sitting next to the afflicted (with a mostly woman''''s disease) Olber''''woman''''.


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Posted by dukuss at 09:48 AM : Jun 16, 2008
+ report abuse

Well now those of us who aren''t in the "Party" and do not watch Fix Noise?? Well WE know her real well and YES it does make a difference. The MESS we''re about to hand this young, very intelligent Man is NOT small by any means. Having someone who will actually ANSWER a question and not insult our intelligence??? That''s a change I can live with. You just hate her because she''s outside the "Party" right?!! Now lets stand... show the folks that the "Party" is more important than the NATION!!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!! Very good!!

[mcvet]

Welcome aboard Linda. It''s going to be refreshing to have someone in a position like this who KNOW what that are doing. You may not agree with her but no one can say SHE does not understand the press! Yes We Can!!

[omaar-101]

Obama weighs Foreign Tour this Summer


By MARGARET TALEV

McClatchy Newspapers


Obama: But when they were asked how confident they are that the next president will make good foreign-policy decisions, Obama beat McCain in almost every nation, including 72-19 percent in Spain, 82-33 percent in Germany, 52-17 percent in Indonesia and 31-23 percent in Egypt.

Some foreign-policy experts say that preliminary discussions about an Obama visit already are under way.


"I do think he`ll probably come," said John Hulsman, a scholar with the German Council on Foreign Relations, based in Berlin. "He`s going to show he`s a new kind of politician, and to do that you can`t just go to London."

Hulsman suggested that in Iraq, Obama might consider staying outside the fortified Green Zone to show that he wants to see (Real Conditions) and to..

Contrast his trip with McCain`s infamous 2007 tour of an open-air Baghdad market. McCain claimed then, under the protection of Helicopter Guns and 100 U.S. troops, that people could "Walk Freely" there.


Note: In Western Europe, Hulsman said, Obama is "Fanatically Popular. People , they`re Mesmerized by the notion an African-American could be elected president. They see Obama talking and hear (Kennedyesque strains)

Note: Some Obama campaign backers privately acknowledge concerns about him leaving the country now, the argument being why take the risk when he''''s leading McCain slightly in national polls.

[dukuss]

Does any one in the real world know this troll? Please who cares, the only job she''ll get after this is with MSNBC sitting next to the afflicted (with a mostly woman''s disease) Olber''woman''.